TechFreedom sued the Federal Aviation Administration, saying it exceeded the agency's authority when it imposed a $5 registration fee for drones that weigh more than 0.55 pounds (see 1512140019). “Whether or not requiring drone registration is a wise policy, the rules the FAA rushed out before Christmas are unlawful,” TechFreedom President Berin Szoka said in a statement on the lawsuit. Szoka said the FAA didn't give the public an opportunity to comment on the regulations, meaning the agency wasn't able to consider "the real-world complexities of drones," which could lead to unintended consequences. Tom Struble, policy counsel for the group, said the notice-and-comment rulemaking process gives agencies stakeholder viewpoints so it can assess "competing considerations." He also called the cost-benefit analysis in the FAA's interim drone regulations "paltry." The FAA said it doesn't comment on pending litigation.

NTIA will attempt to resolve issues raised in draft language of voluntary best practices for drone use (see 1512240007) -- developed through an ongoing multistakeholder process -- during a meeting later this month. The drone multistakeholder meeting will take place Feb. 24, 1 to 5 p.m. EST, and discussion will focus on identifying "a path toward consensus on any remaining issues," John Verdi, NTIA privacy initiatives director, said in an email to stakeholders Friday. The meeting will be held at the American Institute of Architects, 1735 New York Ave. NW.

Amimon introduced a miniature wireless HD video link for drones. The Amimon Connex mini ($1,299) is said to deliver HD video quality; zero latency and encrypted transmission reliability for live and sensitive shots; and multicasting functionality at distances up to 1,600 feet. Calling the system a “new horizon for aerial video production applications,” CEO Ram Ofir positioned it as a solution for local news gathering, inspection and security, wedding videos and real estate property documentation. The Connex mini’s multicast functionality allows a pilot to steer and position the drone, while a videographer controls a camera’s pan/tilt/zoom functions “simultaneously and independently,” said Ofir.

The NTIA released a combined draft document that outlines voluntary best practices for the private and commercial use of drones and plans to schedule a meeting in January to discuss it. John Verdi, NTIA director-privacy initiatives, sent an email Wednesday with the combined draft to participants involved in the multistakeholder process that was launched earlier this year. "The goal is for everyone to review the merged draft 'best practices,' identify recommended revisions or additions (including how best to resolve bracketed text), and tee up those issues for discussion and potential resolution at the next meeting," he wrote in the message. A working group, part of the larger multistakeholder process, has been meeting over the last several weeks to combine the drafts from the Center for Democracy and Technology and Hogan Lovells law firm, providing a comparison of areas of agreement and disagreement. Some participants told us they have made considerable progress on creating a viable document, though some issues still need to be resolved by the larger multistakeholder group (see 1512180026). In his message, Verdi also attached another draft document describing six governing principles to guide the larger best practices document. Both documents are on NTIA website. An agency spokeswoman said NTIA is a "neutral convener" in the process, which is driven by the multistakeholder group participants.

The Consumer Technology Association worries that the Federal Aviation Administration will defy its own task force recommendation and impose a registration fee for small drones when the agency writes its final rules, Doug Johnson, vice president-technology policy, said in a statement. “To be successful, an efficient drone registration system with widespread compliance must be simple, easy and free.” Even a small fee would amount to a “drone tax,” and would “undermine” the FAA’s goal of widespread compliance, Shapiro said Thursday. “Simplicity” in drone registrations was the hallmark of recommendations in the Nov. 21 report of the task force, with two dozen members from CTA and aviation trade groups, and powerhouse names like Amazon, Best Buy, Google, GoPro and Walmart. “To encourage a high level of compliance with the registration requirement,” the task force believes the FAA “should not impose a registration fee,” and if it needs to do so for “legal reasons,” the charge should be a “de minimis fee” of 1/10th of one cent, the report said. FAA representatives didn’t comment Friday.

A 26-member Federal Aviation Administration-chartered task force recommended that owners of drones weighing between 0.55 pounds and 55 pounds register before operating their aircraft in the national air space. Owners as young as 13 years old would be required to enter their names and street addresses into a Web- or app-based system, recommended the report released Saturday. It said email addresses, phone numbers and serial numbers would be optional, but an owner's U.S. citizenship or residency status wouldn't be required. The process should be free for owners, the report said. Once owners fill out an electronic registration form, they would get an electronic certificate of registration and a personal universal registration number that they can use on all small drones they own. They must mark the registration number (or a registered serial number) on their drones in a readable and legible way before operating them outside. The FAA wanted the recommendations due to safety concerns as drones proliferate. About 400,000 consumer drones are expected to be sold this holiday season, the Consumer Technology Association said in a statement applauding the task force action. The FAA is expected (see 1511200055) to use the recommendations and other public comments to draft a rule, but hasn't said when it would be released. The task force -- which included representatives from companies like Amazon and Google, airline, pilots and hobbyist associations, and drone manufacturers -- decided it was beyond its scope to address or debate whether the Transportation Department had the legal authority to implement such a registration requirement for small drones. Michael Drobac, senior counsel at Akin Gump, which represents the Small UAV Coalition, said Monday the recommendations are a good step, though work remains before a final rule is issued. "While there is plenty here to cheer or quibble with, one thing in particular worth noting is that the task force’s recommendations represent a good example of government and industry coming together to try to develop solutions that are practical and thoughtful yet don’t constrain an industry that is poised for a great deal of success,” he said in a statement.

Drones are expected to have a “massive economic impact” in the U.S., but they also present “novel privacy issues,” said House Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Michael Burgess, R-Texas, in remarks prepared for a hearing Thursday. He cited an Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI) study that said drones will generate about $82 billion for the economy and create more than 100,000 jobs in several industries. But Burgess said neighbors can use a drone to “pester you and invade your privacy … there are interesting questions around whether, how, and under what circumstances a drone owner can be identified and held to account for his or her behavior.” NTIA and the Federal Aviation Administration are discussing such issues. Intel Senior Vice President Joshua Walden said in prepared testimony that his company has “embraced Fair Information Privacy Principles (FIPPS),” which “can be applied to the drone platform and the collection, usage, and distribution of data.” For instance, he said Intel applied FIPPS in its decision to use a sensor technology to only collect the minimal data needed for collision avoidance rather than use it for other purposes. He said Intel supports NTIA’s effort to develop privacy best practices. AUVSI CEO Brian Wynne didn’t mention privacy in his prepared testimony, but said his group is urging the FAA to create regulations on safe integration of drones into the national airspace and another for small commercial drones. Without federal regulations, some municipalities and states such as New York, California and New Hampshire want to adopt their own, he said.

The House Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee plans a hearing Thursday on the uses and economic impact of drones. Chairman Michael Burgess, R-Texas, said in a statement there's a lot of innovation around the development of drones, but there are also "legitimate questions about how drones work, what technologies are being developed to ensure the public's safety and privacy, and how drones could help businesses better serve consumers." The hearing is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.

Federal Aviation Administrator Michael Huerta unveiled the list of groups invited to participate in the Transportation Department and FAA’s recently announced Unmanned Aircraft Systems Registration Task Force Thursday. In a news release, the FAA said the “Task Force membership represents a range of stakeholder viewpoints, interests and knowledge of the objectives and scope.” Members include representatives from: Amazon Prime Air; Amazon Retail; Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International; Best Buy; CEA; GoogleX; GoPro; PrecisionHawk; Small UAV Coalition; departments of Commerce, Defense, Homeland Security, Interior and State; the Office of Management and Budget; and NASA. “The group will meet formally from Nov. 3-5 before developing recommendations on a streamlined registration process and minimum requirement on which unmanned aircraft should be registered,” the FAA said. Absent from the task force are privacy and civil liberties groups. “Interested parties who are not members of the Task Force may submit comments to the public docket,” FAA said. CEA Vice President-Technology Policy Doug Johnson said in a news release Thursday that CEA is honored to join the task force, saying a 63 percent increase in drone sales is expected this year alone. “UAS technology -- if allowed by government to thrive -- will be key to U.S. global technology leadership,” he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Department should publicize the identities of members of the new drone task force that was announced last week (see 1510190039), said an Electronic Privacy Information Center letter to the agencies Tuesday. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx had said the task force would have 25 to 30 members, but it was unclear if privacy and safety advocates would be included (see 1510210063). “Given the very real concerns of the American public about the privacy and civil liberties threats drones pose, the task force should include representatives with privacy and civil liberties expertise,” EPIC’s letter said. EPIC said it contacted the Transportation Department’s press office Oct. 20 asking for the final list of task force members, but the agency hasn’t responded, so the group submitted a Freedom of Information Act request Oct. 21 to obtain the information. “With the Task Force set to deliver its final report on November 20, the public has less than one month to weigh in on the organizations and entities providing key input on drone registration,” the letter said. “Given the very real concerns on the part of the American public about drones and the threats they potentially pose to privacy and safety, it is imperative that you make immediately public the members of the Task Force.”